


For Want of a Nail

by Missy



Category: Laverne & Shirley (TV)
Genre: Angst, Character Study, Gen, old works, post-reunion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:26:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28282401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missy/pseuds/Missy
Summary: Laverne-centric post-second-reunion angst.
Relationships: Laverne DeFazio/Lenny Kosnowski, Laverne DeFazio/Original Characters





	For Want of a Nail

**Author's Note:**

> Very ancient, and very bathetic, but it leads into an amazing sequel that should be posted soon.

_For the want of a nail, a shoe was lost  
For the want of a shoe, a horse was lost   
For the want of a horse, a message was lost   
For the want of a message, a battle was lost   
For the want of a battle, a kingdom was lost   
All for the want of a nail. _

_-Anonymous_

I had it all. No one told me, but I did, ya know. Had a guy who appreciated me, loved me, even. 

But I didn't notice him.

I guess his muscles weren't big enough; or his nose was crooked. Cause I was shooting high for a perfect hunk.

Shirley said I should; I should follow my dreams. What did she do? She married a doctor she knew for five minutes. They were happy for awhile; but she settled for a little bitty piece of her big dream.

Me? I ain't never had one.

The closest I got to a perfect guy was Randy...I bet if I spent more time with him, he woulda seemed less great. But he died...I ain't been the same since.

But bein' with him made me forget; made me feel better.

Maybe...he looked at all of the 'hunks' I dated all the time an' thought there wasn't a chance fer us. Not that I coulda thought that way...but I wish I had...

Didn't stop me from getting married...four times. When I think it out, the only thing any of 'em had in common was a nice tushy and a strong face. When I married Ben, Pop was so proud...an Italian guy, his muffin was marrying an Italian guy. After I had the twins, he acted like I was disgusting or something. Wouldn't touch me. Then I found him and Rhonda in bed together. I kept screaming at him, but he managed to tell me that their affair was only a temporary thing.

I divorced him.

Pop never forgave me for that. He died thinking I was scum. I dunno if dying changes anything, but wherever he is, he probably still hates me. The church hates me, too.

I think I hate myself.

Alvin was next; he was quiet and nice, and I thought maybe an accountant could handle having two little girls who looked alike running round the house. But we never did get along all right, and I started messing around...everyone messed around, in the seventies.

I shoulda messed around with him.

Yeah, Alvin was a nice guy...I shouldn't've done to him what I did. He had dignity, not pride, and divorced me. But he always did right by Frankie, our little boy.

I was lookin' to get outta California, but instead....the kids and I moved in with him. We got too close; I got scared, so scared. Then I met Patrick O'Brien. 

He was the biggest mistake I ever made.

We ran away together, got married; like I said, he was beautiful. On the outside.

The first time he hit me, I thought it was a joke; the second, I was scared. By the millionth time, I was just staying with him just for an 'I told you so' on the world.

I couldn't take it anymore, And I ran home to Milwaukee.

I changed everything when I got home; jobs, the color of my hair. I wouldn't let him find me, told people to lie for me. Maybe he grew up; he never tried to find me. Katie was the best baby in the world; never cried, never complained; the result of a disgusting love.

Aaron was my last husband, and I thought I loved him (Oh, I thought I loved all of them, but I didn't know love at all.). He was a nice guy; quiet. The rest I needed from Pat. 

And dull as dishwater, until Shirley came to town.

Suddenly, Aaron was jealous of the two of us. I wasn't goin' through that again; I divorced him, quick. But I was pregnant when I did.

All of this stuff; It hurt my kids. The twins won't speak to me, and when they do, it's in screams. They're so far out of my reach that I can't take it, sometimes. 

Katie's frighteningly quiet; she's sad, all the time, so sad. Frankie's the solid, dependable guy, but Pat screwed him up, too. Loretta's seventeen now, and I think I did OK with her. 

God, I screwed up.

You tried to be there for me, through all a this, but I shoved ya out of my life; It hurt too much, just like it hurts now, because I shouldn'ta wasted my time on alla these jerks. I shouldn't a just picked a pretty face an' tried ta hang my dreams on it. 

I never knew I had 'em until I saw ya.

I couldn't help yelling after knowing it was you who licked me; I was standing in front of Shirl; I hoped that you'd understand that, but you didn't. And when I tried to, you were the one who shoved me away.

"You had your chance, Laverne." And then you just walked away.

You're right; I had so many chances; I coulda been with you my kids coulda had one father. We coulda lived together in California for the rest of our lives and been happy.

Yeah, and instead I'm mushing through the snow in Milwaukee, praying I won't get killed working security at the Packers game tonight. I gotta stop acting like Shirl, and try to remember my old self; the realist; the dirt-solid girl who doesn't dream ever.

I'll never tell anyone, but you were my dream, Len. And I gave you up for something I thought was better. 

But it wasn't, and I lost the best guy friend I ever had.

I lost you. All for the want of a nail.


End file.
